I spent all of last year agonizing over whether or not I should study abroad. As a transfer student, I knew I had already missed out on one year of my time at Cornell and didn’t want to lose another semester. To be honest, I have serious FOMO (fear of missing out). If you go abroad, you’re missing out on valuable Cornell time – enjoying the Ithaca landscape, taking Cornell classes and solidifying existing friendships. However, if you stay at Cornell, you miss all the possibilities that going abroad offers.
After hearing anecdotes from friends who returned from their study abroad programs, I ultimately changed my mind. Here’s why.
1. You can meet people from all around the world and widen your international network of friends
Although Cornell is relatively diverse, the majority of our social networks are domestic. Going abroad allows you to make lifelong friends from countries all around the world.
2. You can immerse yourself in a new culture
When else will you have the ability (time and resources) to move to a completely new part of the world for six months? The time is now! Studying abroad forces you to reorient yourself away from American culture. Learning the culture of a new place is challenging but will be rewarding in the long-run. Immersing yourself in the food, language and traditions of a new place is a something few get to experience in their lifetimes!
3. Discover new interests
With the hustle and bustle of prelims, life at Cornell is too busy to try new things. But going abroad gives you the time as well as the peace of mind to try something you’ve always wanted to do or something outside your comfort zone.
4. You learn a unique kind of independence
Going abroad is like re-starting freshman year all over again. You have to acclimate yourself to a new location, make new friends, and adjust to the demands of a new school. Though a challenging feat, studying abroad forces you to develop your independence, which helps prepare you for life after college.
Choosing a Program
Deciding on which program to apply to is another challenge. Many factors need to be taken into consideration, including location, your major and the courses offered at the school. Make sure to attend study abroad fairs and info sessions, as well as do a lot of research on your own. Asking friends about which programs they attended may be a useful resource. As a Sociology major, I wasn’t particularly drawn to a certain realm of the world. I knew I wanted an English speaking country, so I narrowed down my search to the UK, ultimately deciding on the University of Cambridge.
Here’s why Olivia F. (‘18), a Fashion major in the College of Human Ecology, chose her study abroad program at the London College of Fashion and what made her experience worthwhile.
“I wanted to study at an art school for a semester and further explore my passion for fashion by taking a range of courses, including fashion, journalism, millinery, PR, fashion theory, British cultural studies, fashion drawing and fashion history at the London College of Fashion. As you can tell by the course titles, I wanted to do a lot of exploration within the field of fashion! The professors, called tutors in England, were all industry professionals. I also wanted to have the opportunity to explore Europe and knew that I likely wouldn’t have another time in my life where I’d have such flexibility to travel. I visited Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris and traveled within the UK. It was an incredible experience and I highly recommend going abroad!”
However, many majors don’t provide the course flexibility to go abroad, but don’t let this stop you from traveling! The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers the Global Fellows Program, which places undergrads in summer internships all around the globe. Learn more about the program here.
Happy travels!